Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Uppsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Cebu: $918 a month against $1,978 in Uppsala, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cebu
🇵🇭 Philippines
$918
/mo nomad
Uppsala
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,978
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Uppsala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Uppsala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $1,978 in Uppsala.

  • Cebu $918
  • Uppsala $1,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $3,051 in Uppsala.

  • Cebu $1,409
  • Uppsala $3,051

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $4,124 in Uppsala.

  • Cebu $1,900
  • Uppsala $4,124

Living in Cebu costs roughly 54% less than in Uppsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cebu is 32% below, Uppsala is 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.09 ₱194
$14.90 SEK 148
-79.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.22 ₱1,525
$81.0 SEK 802
-70.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.92 ₱247
$9.87 SEK 97.8
-60.28%
Cappuccino
$2.51 ₱158
$4.98 SEK 49.39
-49.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.59 ₱100
$3.05 SEK 30.25
-47.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53 ₱33.43
$2.40 SEK 23.74
-77.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 ₱112
$7.96 SEK 78.9
-77.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 ₱137
$9.87 SEK 97.8
-78.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.92 ₱121
$1.81 SEK 17.91
6.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.36 ₱85.4
$2.78 SEK 27.57
-51.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.01 ₱63.5
$4.59 SEK 45.48
-78.00%
Eggs
$2.03 ₱128
$5.05 SEK 50.1
-59.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.86 ₱621
$10.12 SEK 100
-2.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.39 ₱277
$14.77 SEK 146
-70.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.60 ₱479
$17.86 SEK 177
-57.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 ₱208
$4.18 SEK 41.42
-21.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 ₱87.8
$2.73 SEK 27.06
-49.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 ₱147
$3.49 SEK 34.63
-33.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 ₱94.3
$5.12 SEK 50.7
-70.70%
Potato (1kg)
$2.36 ₱149
$1.94 SEK 19.20
21.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 ₱119
$1.70 SEK 16.80
11.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 ₱74.9
$2.64 SEK 26.21
-54.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 ₱39.71
$1.28 SEK 12.68
-50.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 ₱189
$7.96 SEK 78.9
-62.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.03 ₱379
$9.91 SEK 98.2
-39.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.23 ₱77.7
$2.47 SEK 24.51
-50.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 ₱110
$2.52 SEK 24.94
-30.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 ₱15.86
$3.92 SEK 38.80
-93.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.64 ₱796
$111 SEK 1,103
-88.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.77 ₱48.62
$5.33 SEK 52.8
-85.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.23 ₱14.53
$1.32 SEK 13.13
-82.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.46 ₱281
$61.3 SEK 607
-92.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.31 ₱82.8
$1.77 SEK 17.54
-25.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K ₱1.3M
$33.2K SEK 329.1K
-36.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.1K ₱1.2M
$32.1K SEK 318.3K
-40.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$120 ₱7,569
$109 SEK 1,077
10.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.00 ₱882
$15.95 SEK 158
-12.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.54 ₱1,734
$47.42 SEK 470
-41.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.33 ₱2,035
$39.13 SEK 388
-17.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 ₱419
$23.27 SEK 231
-71.42%
Cinema Ticket
$5.65 ₱356
$18.61 SEK 184
-69.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$275 ₱17.3K
$126 SEK 1,248
118.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,918 ₱498.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.33 ₱3,106
$105 SEK 1,037
-52.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.24 ₱1,589
$48.48 SEK 480
-47.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.0 ₱4,846
$94.4 SEK 935
-18.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$57.2 ₱3,601
$200 SEK 1,982
-71.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$500 ₱31.5K
$892 SEK 8,836
-43.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$309 ₱19.4K
$707 SEK 7,009
-56.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 ₱67.9K
$1,750 SEK 17.3K
-38.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 ₱38.7K
$1,138 SEK 11.3K
-45.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,886 ₱181.7K
$5,186 SEK 51.4K
-44.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,917 ₱120.7K
$2,595 SEK 25.7K
-26.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cebu
Uppsala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$346 ₱21.8K
$3,008 SEK 29.8K
-88.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.2
3.8
89.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Uppsala: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cebu
$309
Uppsala
$707 129% $399
Groceries & Markets
Cebu
$206
Uppsala
$391 90.2% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cebu
$162
Uppsala
$172 6.4% $10
Clothing & Footwear
Cebu
$94
Uppsala
$201 114% $107
Eating Out
Cebu
$88
Uppsala
$290 229% $202
Sport & Entertainment
Cebu
$44
Uppsala
$76 75% $33
Getting Around
Cebu
$16
Uppsala
$139 792% $123

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $892 in Uppsala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala pays 769% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $81.0 in Uppsala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $391 per month, with Cebu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇭 Cebu
🇸🇪 Uppsala
🕒 Local time
11:37 11:37 AM
05:37 5:37 AM
6 h behind Cebu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
964,169
166,698
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.91 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.14 SEK (100 SEK = 8.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cebu Uppsala 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cebu
  • Uppsala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cebu vs Uppsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Uppsala cheaper than Cebu?
Cebu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 115% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Cebu or Uppsala?
On paper, salaries run 769% lower in Uppsala. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Cebu and Uppsala?
Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $892 in Uppsala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Cebu and in Uppsala?
All in, you'll spend $918 per month in Cebu versus $1,978 in Uppsala – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Cebu runs roughly 780% less than in Uppsala. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Cebu or in Uppsala?
At $918 in Cebu versus $1,978 in Uppsala, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cebu but tight or insufficient in Uppsala. The gap between the two cities makes Cebu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Cebu or Uppsala more family-friendly?
For families, Cebu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Uppsala, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Cebu or Uppsala?
Safety-wise, Cebu and Uppsala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cebu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Uppsala. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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